Functions of Fire Protection Systems 2-1 Preventing and Protecting Against Fire Having

an adequate level of protection against fire is important in meeting facility goals.

However, preventing as many fires as possible is just as important, if not more so.
Preventing fires is accomplished through a facility's fire prevention programs. The fire
prevention measures based on engineered systems must be implemented in the project
design stage. In this respect, fire prevention and fire protection measures closely
overlap. Sometimes no distinction is drawn between them. Engineered fire prevention
measures can include" 9 Separation distances between hazards and exposures; 9
Combustion safeguards on fuel-fired equipment; 9 Systems for liquid containment,
drainage or run-off; 9 Provisions for bonding and grounding to control static; 9 Explosion-
proof electrical and heating equipment in hazardous areas; and 9 Process safety control
systems. Fire prevention measures based on programs and procedures (as opposed to
engineered systems) are not often considered in the planning stages of construction,
despite the fact that this is the best time to develop them. The fire protection engineer
generally recommends appropriate fire prevention programs for each project. For these
programs to be effective, the project team must help integrate them into the project
design. Fire protection systems are of many types. Selecting the appropriate type
requires understanding the hazard to be protected, the 10 Fire Protection Engineering in
Building Design types of protective systems that are appropriate for that hazard, and the
level of protection each type of system can be expected to provide. Examples of
different types of fire protection systems include: 9 Detection systems with interlocks
for door or damper closure, HVAC shutdown, or process shutdown; 9 Fireproofing for
buildings, structures, or processes; 9 Fire walls, fire barriers, fire doors, and other fire
resistant construction; 9 Inerting systems; 9 Smoke control systems; 9 Sprinkler
systems; 9 Deluge and preaction systems; and 9 Special extinguishing systems,
including those using wet or dry chemicals, foam, or "clean" agents. Whether a design is
prescriptive or performance-based, understanding of the following elements is
essential for proper fire protection design: 9 Reason(s) for installing the system; 9
Assets being protected; 9 Function the system is serving; and 9 Science behind the
system design. The remainder of this chapter addresses the first three elements.
Chapters 3 and 4 address the fourth element. The discussion of fire protection systems
in this chapter assumes that appropriate fire prevention programs are already in place or
are being planned. The subject of fire prevention programs is beyond the scope of this
book. Many existing books address this subject in great detail. Functions of Fire
Protection Systems 11 2-2 Reasons for Installing Fire Protection Systems Fire protection
systems can be installed for many different reasons. Most often, fire protection
systems are expected to meet a combination of purposes. Designing a fire protection
system requires knowing the purposes it must serve. Requirements to install fire
protection systems usually stem from mandatory codes, but the systems installed to
meet these codes will not necessarily meet all the owner's goals unless this is specified.
Reasons for installing fire protection include the following: Meeting codes. Most fire
protection systems are installed to meet codes. In the U.S. this means NFPA 13 as well
as other NFPA codes. The U.S. regional building codes also require installing fire
protection systems. Making trade-offs. Sometimes installing additional fire protection
allows more flexibility in architectural design. For example, installing curtain water
spray systems might allow having an open atrium in a mall. Satisfying AHJs. Based on
conditions in a particular jurisdiction or in a particular building, an AHJ could require fire
protection systems that are not addressed in the applicable codes. Protecting assets.
Fire protection systems can be installed to protect a building or a building's contents,
to control specific hazardous processes or areas, to safeguard human life, or to
preserve mission continuity. The level of fire protection required for protecting
particular assets can sometimes exceed the minimum required by codes. Maintaining
community relations. Sometimes an isolated, smallvalued hazard that would not
normally require or warrant fire 12 Fire Protection Engineering in Building Design
protection is protected for the good of the community. One example of this is
protecting a hazard that has the potential for causing damage to neighboring
properties. Most fire protection systems are installed for several of the above reasons.
One of the challenges of designing fire protection systems is to achieve several
purposes as effectively as possible. Another challenge is to anticipate likely future
occupancy changes in the original fire protection design basis. Chances that fire
protection systems will serve a building's needs are greatly increased if they are
coordinated throughout the project. A good reference for coordinating building code
needs is Cracking the Codes, by Barry Yatt (see References). Chapter 5 of this book
addresses coordinating with fire protection-related codes. Similar coordination is also
needed for noncode needs. The building owner must coordinate these needs by working
with the project team. 2-3 Protecting Assets Asset protection is a very important
function of fire protection systems. Assets that fire protection systems can be intended
to protect include: Property. Conventional sprinkler systems protect buildings. Inrack
sprinkler systems keep fire from spreading through rack storage. Sprinkler systems limit
property damage, but they cannot totally eliminate it. Directional water spray systems
protect special hazards, like oil-filled transformers. Protecting a transformer does not
save it from damage, but keeps it from damaging nearby buildings and structures,
including other transformers. Special extinguishing systems, such as those using
gaseous agents, are sometimes used to protect critical computer or data processing
facilities. These extinguishing systems are designed to actuate before conventional
sprinkler systems would actuate, and Functions of Fire Protection Systems 13 they can
extinguish fire while damage is still minimal, even preventing some equipment damage.
Sprinkler systems are still provided as back-up protection for the building. On the other
hand, explosion suppression systems can protect equipment and structures from
damage. These systems operate so fast that the pressure wave started by ignition of an
explosive atmosphere is suppressed before it reaches a high enough pressure to cause
any damage. Life. Controlling fire sufficiently to protect a building can also keep fire from
harming people. Since people are also harmed by the smoke fire generates, smoke
control systems are used to allow time for people to evacuate before smoke
concentrations reach dangerous levels. The basis for protecting life is in ensuring fast
egress from buildings. This involves: 9 Provision of adequate exit capacity; 9 Maximum
allowed distances for egress travel paths; 9 Minimum allowed widths of egress travel
paths; 9 Reliably illuminated and marked exits; 9 Maximum allowed length of dead ends;
and 9 Protected exits to public ways. All the above features depend on the number of
occupants in a building and their mobility. NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, 9 and model
building codes address these features. Mission continuity. After a fire, lost property can
be replaced and damaged buildings can be repaired. But business lost to competitors
while operations are down cannot always be recovered. Competitive industries
sometimes provide more fire protection than required for protection of life and property
to decrease possible downtime that may occur after a fire. 14 Fire Protection
Engineering in Building Design Protecting mission continuity requires not only carefully
designed fire protection systems, but also effective fire prevention programs. Engineers
who only design fire protection systems may not know what fire prevention programs are
necessary. Fire protection engineers are usually very familiar with developing these
programs. Environment. Risk management principles often dictate protecting lives and
high value property. Unoccupied buildings of relatively low value may not normally
require protection. However, this changes if a fire in such buildings could have an
adverse effect on the environment. This could be due to the contents of the building or
to its location near a waterway or watershed area. Protecting the environment boils
down to asset protection for two reasons. First, a company could be held liable for
environmental damage caused by a fire on its property. Second, an unpolluted
environment is everyone's asset